Hard-rock mining machine

ABSTRACT

A hard-rock mining machine having a percussive working member adjustably mounted for rotating in two mutually perpendicular directions i.e., compound movement on an extensible thrusting frame connected to a thrusting mechanism comprising a support when the thrusting frame together with the working member move along a mine heading.

United States Patent [191 1111 3,863,989 Voitsekhovsky et al. [4 Feb. 4, 1975 HARD-ROCK MINING MACHINE [56] References Cited Inventors: Bogdan Vyacheslavovich UNITED STATES PATENTS Vmtsekhovsky, ulitsa lllcha 17, kv- 3,498,675 3/1970 Kamp-Emden et al 299/31 16; Valentm Pavlovich Nikolaev, 3,729,056 4/1973 Paurat 299/70 ulitsa Pravdy 5a, kv 21; Grigory Yankelevich Shoikhet, umsa FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Gerovetruda, 21, kv. 49; Leonid 33,792 1949 Poland 299/75 Alexeevich Mitin ulitsa Poland Akedemicheskaya, 2; Lidia Petrovna Dimova, ulitsa Maltseva, 1, Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser kv. 8; Vladimir Alexeevich Attorney, Agent, or FirmHolman & Stern Samusenko, ulitsa Pravdy, 1 kv'. 34, all Of NOVOSIbll'Sk, Filed: 101 1972 A hard-rock mining machine having a percussive APPL 5 5 working member adjustably mounted for rotating in two mutually perpend1cular d1rect1ons 1.e., compound movement on an extensible thrusting frame connected Cl 299/31 173/351 299/70 to a thrusting mechanism comprising a support when 299/75 the thrusting frame together with the working member Int. Cl. E2lc 37/24 move along a mine heading Fleld of Search 299/31, 70, 75; 173/35 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures x x ax Ax 26 Z 21 22 g a 39 4 I I I I ,7 I 17 'i/J/ 7 22 /0 r 4 e SHEET 10F 3 PATENTED FEB 41975 WWW? HARD-ROCK MINING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a mining machine for place driving in hard rock such as granite, gneiss, sandstone, and more particularly, to a mining machine with a percussive working member comprising a reciprocating rock crushing hammer.

Mechanized place driving in hard rock, without using a blasting technique, remains, up until, now an urgent problem. It has been found by practice that with an increasing impact energy, the power consumption in rock bearing is decreased, and efficient crushing of hard rock such as granite, gneiss and the like can be echieved by subjecting it to the impacts of an energy ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 kgm.

Prior Art Prior art working members, disclosed particularly for example, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,915, French Pat. No. 2,068,026, Federal Republic of Germany Pat. No. 1,957,442 are capable of developing impacts within the above-mentioned energy limits.

However, at these values of impact energy, highly intensive dynamic loads are exerted on the structural elements of the machine incorporating this type of working member. These loads are generated either when the hammer accelerates, or when it strikes the rock at an angle other than 90 (oblique impact), or in case of an idle blow which may occur when the hammer enters voids occasionally found in the rock mass. These loads may be as high as tens of tons, whereas the time of their action is limited by hundredths of a second.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The basic object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a mining machine with a percussive working member, which machine structure is subject to a lesser degree the destructive dynamic loads generated during the operation of the percussive working memher.

A further object of the invention is to provide a walking mining machine with a percussive working member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mining machine, in which operating space is sufficiently free.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mining machine of a relatively light structural weight.

The present invention provides a mining machine with a percussive working member incorporating a reciprocating rock crushing hammer. According to the invention, the working member is mounted on an extensible or manipulator frame having means thrust against the walls of the heading so that the member may be rotated in two mutually perpendicular directions, whereas the thrusting frame is pivotally connected to support elements forcibly engaging the walls of the heading when said frame is extended. Rotation of the working member in two directions is achieved by installing the frame with means for turning it around a vertical axle and by fixing the working member rotatably on the horizontal axis of the frame.

The thrusting frame may have a supporting plate with two power cylinders mounted thereon, and a cross beam which with its vertical columns resting on the movable parts of said power cylinders, whereas the supporting plate and the beam are connected to the support elements through spherical joints. The thrusting frame revolves around its axis by means of power cylinders which through their movable parts are connected to the ends of a chain encircling a drum positioned below the supporting plate of the frame.

Due to this arrangement, dynamic loads effect the thrusting frame only and reach the rock via the shortest path.

The invention is also characterized by the provision of a thrusting mechanism connected to the thrusting frame and used as support in advancing the frame along the heading by means of power cylinders. The thrusting mechanism incorporates supporting skis with power cylinders installed thereon and connected through spherical joints upper support elements, while the skis are also interconnected through resilient links.

In this case, by using relatively simple means, the mining machine can be advanced along the heading by alternate thrusting and retraction of the thrusting frame and the thrusting mechanism.

In addition, the upper support element of the thrusting mechanism is connected to the support element of the thrusting frame not only by means of power cylinders, but also by resilient strips, while the supporting skis are connected to the lower support elements of the frame by means of power cylinders and a lever with slide blocks moving in guides.

Due to this connection of the frame to the thrusting mechanism and due to the pivoted connection of the upper and lower elements of the frame and the resilient links between the supporting skis, the mining machine is well adapted to irregularities of the floor and roof of the heading.

In order to make the present invention more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a general side elevational view of the novel mining machine in the heading, where the section close to the heading face is the thrusting frame bearing the working member, while the section behind is the thrusting mechanism;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the thrusting frame and the working member of the mining machine taken from the face of the heading; i.e., left-to-right of FIG. 1 with portions broken away;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along III-lII in FIG. 1 through the upper support element and the supporting skis of the thrusting mechanism; and

FIG. 4 shows an enlarged mounting arrangement of the resilient strips connecting the upper support elements of the frame and the thrusting mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to FIG. 1, the mining machine comprises, according to the invention, a manipulator frame 1 which is extensible in height in order to thrust against a roof 2 and a floor 3 of a heading 4 through an upper support element 5 and a lower support element 6 respectively. The thrusting frame 1 carries a percussive working member 7 with a reciprocating rock crushing hammer 8. The construction of the working member 7 is not described in detail, because in principle any known percussive working member with adequate impact energy parameters may be employed for the purpose. Thus, the percussive working member described in the above-referred patents may be used.

To work a face 9 of the heading 4 systemically and over its entire area, the working member 7 is installed with a possibility for revolving in horizontal and vertical planes, which will be explained in more detail herein below.

Connected to the support elements 5, 6 of the thrusting frame 1 is a thrusting mechanism 10 serving as a support relative to which the thrusting frame 1 with the percussive working member 7 can be advanced along the heading. The thrusting mechanism 10 has an upper support element 11 and lower supporting skis 12 which are disposed adjacent to and along the side walls of the heading 4. The upper suppoitt elements and 11 of the thrusting frame 1 and the thrusting mechanism are at the same time used as an overhead cover supporting the roof 2 of the heading 4 to prevent collapsing thereof.

The thrusting frame 1 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. The frame 1 comprises a supporting plate 13 with thrusting power cylinders 14 vertically installed thereon, and a cross beam 15 with vertical columns 16 which pass through guide bushings 17 to rest on movable parts 18 (piston with rod) of the power cylinders 14. The guide bushings are fixed on two side members 19 installed on the supporting plate 13.

The working member 7 is mounted on a horizontal axle 20 held in bearings (not shown) in the side members 19 and can rotate in a vertical plane by a power cylinder 21, as shown in FIG. 1. Located in the middle portion of the cross beam 15 is a spherical head 22 accommodated in a spherical socket 23 of the upper support element 5, thus resulting in the frame 1 being connected to said element through a spherical joint. Installed in the base portion of the thrusting frame 1 underneath the supporting plate 13 is a drum 24 encircled by a chain 25 whose ends are connected to power cylinders 26 installed on the lower support element 6. The end portion of the drum 24 has a spherical recess 27 accommodating a spherical head 28 which is fixed to the lower support element 6, as a result of which the supporting plate 13 of the frame 1 is connected to the lower support element 6 through a spherical joint.

Thus, the thrusting frame 1 is pivotally connected to the support elements 5 and 6 and can therefore revolve relative thereto around its vertical axis together with the working member 7 by means of the power cylinders 26 tensioning the chain 25.

The thrusting mechanism 10 has two thrusting power cylinders 29 (FIGS. 1 and 3) mounted on the supporting skis 12. Movable parts 30 of the cylinders 29 bear columns 31 passing through guide bushings 32 secured on brackets 33 which are rigidly connected to the supporting skis 12. The upper support element 11 of the mechanism 10 rests on spherical heads 34 of the columns 31. The supporting skis 12 are interconnected by resilient links 35 which may take the form of a set of flat springs, as shown in FIG. 3. The springs may be secured to a rigid beam 36.

Due to this arrangement, the supporting skis are readily adaptable to irregularities of the floor 3 of the heading 4.

It was already mentioned that the thrusting mechanism 10 is connected to the thrusting frame 1. The

upper support element 1 l of said mechanism 10 is connected to the support element 5 of the thrusting frame 1 by means of two power cylinders 37 (FIG. 1) and resilient strips 38 whose mounting in the support elements 5 and 11 is more clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The strips 38 with one end are fixed to a horizontal axle 39 positioned on the support element 11 of the thrusting mechanism 10, while with the other end they are placed between limiting side stops 40 located in a recess 41 of the support element 5 of the frame 1. When the mining machine advances along the heading, the support elements 5 and 6 follow the roof and floor irregularities by rotating round the joints relative to the frame 1 which is held in the longitudinal direction by the power cylinders 37, while in the lateral direction it is held by means of the resilient strips 38.

The supporting skis 12 are connected to the lower support element 6 of the frame 1 by two power cylinders 42. To direct the advance of the thrusting mechanism 10 along the heading 4 as the frame 1 moves forward, the lower support element 6 of the latter frame carries a lever 43 (FIGS. 1 and 3) whose one end is firmly fastened, whereas pivotable fixed to the other end of the lever are slide blocks 44 moving in guides 45 secured to the beam 36.

As is evident from the description of the embodiment of the thrusting frame 1 and the thrusting mechanism 10, the operating space of the mining machine is kept unobstructed, thus permitting free access to the mechanisms and units of the mining machine.

The mining machine makes it advance in the heading 4 as follows:

We begin with the position when the frame 1 is extended for thrusting against the heading face 9. To move the mining machine forward, the thrusting mechanism 10 is operated to thrust against the support 11 against roof, and the skis 12 against floor 3 of the heading through the power cylinders 29; then the frame 1 is released. The frame 1 bearing the working member 7, together with the support elements 5 and 6 is moved in the heading by the power cylinders 37 andv 42 in relation to the stationary'thrusting mechanism 10. Then, the frame 1 by means of its cylinders 14 is operated to thrust supports 5 and 6 against the roof and the floor, respectively, of the heading, while the mechanism 10 is released from the thrust position. During the return stroke of the power cylinders 37 and 42, mechanism 10 is pulled up to the thrusting frame 1. Thus, the mining machine is advanced along the heading on the known principle of walking.

In the course of advance, the mining machine can be turned in the heading by actuating only the left-hand or right-hand pushing cylinders 37 and 42; the lever 43 with slide blocks 44 moving in the guides 45 directs the mining machine in turning.

The rock is crushed over the entire area of the face by the working member 7 making a series of successive and closely grouped blows. Broken rock is removed by any known loading and conveying facilities which are not described in the disclosure.

Practical use of the mining machine has proved its reliability with regard to loads taken, as well as simple and convenient operation, as its internal operation space is practically free from any obstruction.

Besides, the mining machine according to the invention features a light structural weight, about 45-50 tons, which is very advantageous especially in assembling and dismantling the machine in tight underground openings.

What is claimed is:

l. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwise in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section of the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding 10,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame, and complemental means on the upper and lower support means and the vertical shafts providing universal connections whereby the frame can rotate relative to the upper and lower support means around its vertical axis.

2. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwise in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section of the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding l0,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame,

means hinging the upper and lower support means to the vertical shafts, a drum supported by the shaft for the lower portion, a chain around the drum, and a drive means operably related to the chain for turning the manipulator frame.

3. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwise in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section or the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding 10,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame, means hinging the upper and lower support means to the vertical shafts, a thrusting means, and hydraulic cylinder and piston means and elastic plates operably connecting said thrusting means with said upper support means.

4. The hard-rock mining machine as claimed in claim 3 including slideways arranged in the lower part of the thrusting means, slide means movable inside the slideways, a lever coupled to the slide means, said lever being connected said lower support means, and two hydraulic cylinder-piston units connected to said lower support means. 

1. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwise in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section of the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding 10,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame, and complemental means on the upper and lower support means and the vertical shafts providing universal connections whereby the frame can rotate relative to the upper and lower support means around its vertical axis.
 2. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwise in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section of the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding 10,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame, means hinging the upper and lower support means to the vertical shafts, a drum supported by the shaft for the lower portion, a chain around the drum, and a drive means operably related to the chain for turning the manipulator frame.
 3. A hard-rock mining machine movable stepwIse in a heading having a roof, a floor and a face to be worked, comprising a manipulator frame, said frame being provided with upper and lower support means thrustable against the roof and floor respectively, a horizontal shaft mounted in a middle section or the frame, a percussive means having an impact energy exceeding 10,000 kgm mounted on the horizontal shaft for working on the face of the heading, two vertical shafts positioned in the upper and lower portions of the frame, means hinging the upper and lower support means to the vertical shafts, a thrusting means, and hydraulic cylinder and piston means and elastic plates operably connecting said thrusting means with said upper support means.
 4. The hard-rock mining machine as claimed in claim 3 including slideways arranged in the lower part of the thrusting means, slide means movable inside the slideways, a lever coupled to the slide means, said lever being connected said lower support means, and two hydraulic cylinder-piston units connected to said lower support means. 